Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	world_n	year_n	young_a	110	3	5.5671	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12225	The defence of poesie. By Sir Phillip Sidney, Knight; Defence of poetry	Sidney, Philip, Sir, 1554-1586.	1595 (1595)	STC 22535; ESTC S119205	38,183	73

by their clay-lodgings can be capable of This according to the inclination of man bred many formed impressions For some that thought this felicity principally to be gotten by knowledge and no knowledge to be so high or heauenly as acquaintance with the stars gaue thēselues to Astronomie others perswading thēselues to be Demygods if they knew the causes of things became naturall and supernaturall Philosophers Some an admirable delight drew to Musicke and some the certaintie of demonstration to the Mathematicks but all one and other hauing this scope to know by knowledge to lift vp the minde from the dungeon of the bodie to the enioying his owne diuine essence But when by the ballance of experience it was found that the Astronomer looking to the stars might fall in a ditch that the inquiring Philosopher might be blind in him self the Mathematician might draw forth a straight line with a crooked hart Then lo did proofe the ouerruler of opinions make manifest that all these are but seruing sciences which as they haue a priuate end in themselues so yet are they all directed to the highest end of the mistresse knowledge by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which stands as I thinke in the knowledge of a mans selfe in the Ethike and Politique consideration with the end of well doing and not of well knowing onely Euen as the Sadlers next ende is to make a good Saddle but his further ende to serue a nobler facultie which is horsmanship so the horsemans to souldiery and the souldier not only to haue the skill but to performe the practise of a souldier So that the ending end of all earthly learning being verteous action those skils that most serue to bring forth that haue a most iust title to be Princes ouer al the rest wherin if we cā shew the Poet is worthy to haue it before any other competitors among whō principally to challenge it step forth the moral Philosophers whom me thinkes I see comming towards me with a sullain grauitie as though they could not abide vice by day-light rudely cloathed for to witnesse outwardly their contempt of outward things with bookes in their hands against glorie whereto they set their names sophistically speaking against subtiltie and angry with any man in whom they see the foule fault of anger These men casting larges as they go of definitions diuitions and distinctions with a scornful interrogatiue do soberly aske whether it be possible to find any path so ready to lead a man to vertue as that which teacheth what vertue is teacheth it not only by deliuering forth his very being his causes and effects but also by making knowne his enemie vice which must be destroyed and his combersome seruant passion which must be mastred by shewing the generalities that contains it and the specialities that are deriued from it Lastly by plaine setting downe how it extends it selfe out of the limits of a mans owne little world to the gouernment of families and mainteining of publike societies The Historian scarsely giues leisure to the Moralist to say so much but that he loaden with old Mouse-eaten Records authorising himselfe for the most part vpon other Histories whose greatest authorities are built vppon the notable foundation Heresay hauing much ado to accord differing writers to pick truth out of partiality better acquainted with a 1000. yeres ago thē with the present age and yet better knowing how this world goes then how his owne wit runnes curious for Antiquities and inquisitiue of Nouelties a wonder to yoong folkes and a Tyrant in table talke denieth in a great chafe that any man for teaching of vertue and vertues actions is comparable to him I am Testis temporum lux veritatis vita memoriae magistra vitae nuncia vetustatis The Philosopher saith he teacheth a disputatiue vertue but I do an actiue His vertue is excellent in the dangerlesse Academy of Plato but mine sheweth forth her honourable face in the battailes of Marathon Pharsalia Poietiers and Agincourt Hee teacheth vertue by certaine abstract considerations but I onely bid you follow the footing of them that haue gone before you Old aged experience goeth beyond the fine witted Philosopher but I giue the experience of many ages Lastly if he make the song Booke I put the learners hand to the Lute and if he be the guide I am the light Then would he alleage you innumerable examples confirming storie by stories how much the wisest Senators and Princes haue bene directed by the credit of Historie as Brutus Alphonsus of Aragon and who not if need be At length the long line of their disputation makes a point in this that the one giueth the precept the other the example Now whom shall we find since the question standeth for the highest forme in the schoole of learning to be moderator Truly as mee seemeth the Poet and if not a moderator euen the man that ought to carry the title from them both much more from all other seruing sciences Therfore compare we the Poet with the Historian with the morall Philosopher and if hee goe beyond them both no other humaine skill can match him For as for the diuine with all reuerence it is euer to be excepted not onely for hauing his scope as far beyond any of these as Eternitie exceedeth a moment but euen for passing ech of these in themselues And for the Lawier though Ius be the daughter of Iustice the chiefe of vertues yet because he seeks to make men good rather formidine panae then virtutis amore or to say righter doth not endeuor to make men good but that their euill hurt not others hauing no care so he be a good citizen how bad a man he be Therfore as our wickednes maketh him necessarie and necessitie maketh him honorable so is he not in the deepest truth to stand in ranck with these who al endeuour to take naughtinesse away and plant goodnesse euen in the secretest cabinet of our soules and these foure are all that any way deale in the consideration of mens manners which being the supreme knowledge they that best breed it deserue the best commendation The Philosopher therefore and the Historian are they which would win the goale the one by precept the other by example but both not hauing both doo both halt For the Philosopher setting downe with thornie arguments the bare rule is so hard of vtterance and so mistie to be conceiued that one that hath no other guide but him shall wade in him till he be old before he shall finde sufficient cause to be honest For his knowledge standeth so vpon the abstract and generall that happie is that man who may vnderstand him and more happie that can apply what he doth vnderstand On the other side the Historian wanting the precept is so tied not to what should be but to what is to the particular truth of things and not to the general reason of things that his example